Tag: australia

Retailers are flocking to mobile commerce more quickly than consumers are in Australia

Australian retailers are adopting mobile payments faster than consumers, according to Vend, a New Zealand vendor that develops point-of-sale tools for traditional retail stores. Consumers have been showing relatively strong interest in the concept of mobile commerce, but only a modest amount of these people have actually begun participating in mobile shopping. Retailers, however, have been aggressive in their adoption of mobile commerce, hoping to engage a consumer base that is becoming more mobile-centric.

Retail sector continues to aggressively adapt to changes in the business landscape

Australia’s retail sector has always been somewhat ahead when it comes to matters of commerce. Retailers in the country are often quick to adopt new technology that allows them to better engage consumers in a dynamic way. The problem, however, is that consumers are not as enthusiastic when it comes to some of the moves that retailers are making. Mobile commerce is still relatively new and while retailers have high hopes for the mobile space, many consumers are wary of the threats that exist therein.

Consumers are still wary of mobile commerce and its security issues

Many people have cited security issues as their reason for not participating in mobile commerce. Because mobile commerce involves the trafficking of financial information over mobile platforms, this sector has become particularly attractive to malicious groups that would be interested in exploiting this financial information. In Australia, consumers are more apt to favor traditional forms of payment rather than mobile forms. Part of this mentality may be due to poor experiences that consumers may have had with mobile commerce platforms in the past.

Many consumers are comfortable with traditional payment methods and have had bad experiences with mobile commerce platforms

Changing consumer behavior is not likely to be an easy feat. Retailers have been promoting mobile payments for some time but have found relatively little traction. Consumers have become quite comfortable with the way they shop and pay for products. New forms of payments can make some people uncomfortable and unwilling to use mobile platforms while shopping. Poorly designed mobile commerce platforms can also have an adverse effect on people’s opinions concerning mobile commerce.

Shomi has created a font-based substitute to the quick response code.

Shomi, an Australian startup, has developed Shomi codes, which are similar to QR codes in that they link to digital content, but what makes the Shomi variety different is that it is based on font, which makes them smaller and does not limit them to back and white, giving them greater flexibility.

The new codes are quick and easy to implement.

According to Tony Williams, the founder of the newly established Australian business, Shomi codes have been purposely designed to be placed in confined spaces in publishing, such as a line of text. Williams says that “because it’s a font, it’s a lot quicker and easier to implement than a QR code.’’ This gives it the advantage.

He also added that “QR codes were designed as a high density alternative to a barcode for tracking automotive parts. They are completely over engineered for use as mobile linking technology.”

Shomi is not the first QRcode competitor. Microsoft created Microsoft tag, but the company has decided that it will be eliminating this service next year. Williams believes the reason that Microsoft tag did not work was it did not overcome the quick response code’s format, which Williams says is one of the chief problems of the code because all of the additional data is not needed for a mobile link.

Shomi codes may be more effective than QR codes for providing useful data to companies about consumers.

Shomi intends to generate revenue by storing the data it collects from users of its code, analyzing this data and providing it to publishers who use the Shomi code. According to Williams, the free version of their platform with basic analytics is currently available.

He said that Shomi can “control the experience” and they capture all of the data which is a huge advantage to companies. A company can use the code to direct their reader and learn what they can about the consumer.

Williams stated that Shomi will make money with detailed analytics packages and they will charge on a tiered scale that will be based on scan usage. At present, the startup is seeking seed funding and is on the watch for businesses that may be interested in being among the first to adopt their code.

Only time will tell if Shomi code will be a true competitor of QR codes for mobile.